book nerd.
Jul. 8th, 2022 01:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
impySooooooo... when I'm playing various mindless games or painting my nails I watch YT videos. Sometimes we watch our queen Alexandria Ryan as she unboxes stuff and rants (she's adorable and we love her), sometimes we watch Megan True Crime because I'm a sucker for an accent, and sometimes we watch Jess Owens because apparently I like hearing about book drama without having to seek it out. And sometimes you need a shorter video so you watch the non-book drama vids and wind up with a tag and I'm bored and headachey and trying not to have every day this week be identical in terms of when I'm awake SO. Let's stay awake a little longer and answer these questions no one asked for.
With my GR list o books ready for cheating, let's begin.
1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2022
Ah, crap. I think I agree with Ms. Owens in that this year's reading crop hasn't wowed me a ton but it's not like everything has been bad. I did really wind up loving She Gets The Girl way more than I anticipated. Oh, and The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling lived up to the hype.
2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2022
If one ignores the Heartstopper series, since I essentially read them all in one go, probably Four Aunties and a Wedding because even though it relies heavily on the "couple does not communicate" trope, the characters and writing still brought me joy. I did also really enjoy All The Feels by Olivia Dade which managed to actually be better than the first book in the series, so that's fun.
3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to
Uhhhh...there's a new Kim Harrison Hollows book. One of my mystery series (one of the Maine ones, how do I have multiple Maine books?) just released one and I'm really tempted to buy it. Muddled Through by Barbara Ross and Trouble With the Cursed by Kim Harrison. Gotta admit, I'm still behind on the Kim Harrison books. Bought but haven't read the previous two.
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
Jim Butcher's son has a book coming out and I'm curious to see whether this is going to coast entirely on Dad's name or if the kid's got talent. Not sure I'm actually looking forward to that so much as I just am really curious as to how it'll pan out. That's Dead Man's Hand by James J. Butcher (and dude, the marketing is leaning hard on people just thinking this is another Jim Butcher book given how the cover is done.)
5. Biggest disappointment
Overall? The Cabin at the End of the World was hyped as this AMAZING book and it's just... not. The characters are basically cardboard, there's very little explanation given despite all the cryptic crap (it takes multiple chapters to even get to the bit spelled out in the blurb) and the ending thinks it's deeper than it is. I enjoyed the author's notes more than the book.
Also, really disappointed that The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman went and retconned stuff and I don't even think it's acknowledged as a retcon. :/
OH. Wait. No. The Camelot Rising series by Kiersten White goes and makes Lancelot a woman and you spend the whole goddamn series waiting for Gwen (not that she goes by that but dude you get the idea) and Lancelot to hook up or for something more to be done with Lancelot and it NEVER FUCKING HAPPENS because we spend all that time on fucking Modred instead. This fantastic change is squandered and it drove me to distraction.
6. Biggest surprise
Is this meant to be like "wow, this book sucked/was amazing and I didn't expect that at all?" or "this one moment was like a big surprise" or... I'm going with a two-fer as that's my theme, apparently. In general, Always in December by Emily Stone looks like your standard holiday fluff. It's not. I'm not saying it's not worth a read (I think it is) but I was not expecting to hurt like that. And random surprise was The Chain by Adrian McKinty owing the title just as much to the BSC as it does Fleetwood Mac. :p
7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)
Alice Oseman and Erin Steling.
8. Newest fictional crush
Listen, books. I love you, but you're not going to catch up with my TV crushes at the moment. HOWEVER since this isn't the time to be all hearteyes over them, let's see. Alex from All the Feels. Alex and Molly from She Gets the Girl. Lancelot.
9. Newest favourite character
Uhh... see above?
10. Book that made you cry
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr had me cry in so many unexpected places. I was bawling at work because the damn thing really did just know where to poke grief for the most realistic portrayal at times.
11. Book that made you happy
The Ex Hex and She Gets The Girl both made me grin stupidly throughout a good chunk of the read.
12. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)
Uhhhhhhhhh...I think the only books I've gotten this year are the kids AG books and Goodnight Girls, the Golden Girls kids book. Neither of which really feels like a good answer to this but here:
My Jellycat from Lori (thank you!) reading some GG goodies to Boa. Yes. I read the book aloud to my cat. What?
13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
I don't think I *need* to read anything other than this ARC of Dangerous Beauty by Melissa Koslin. I want to read the books I mentioned before and I'm sure if one let me loose in a bookstore I'd do some serious damage and intend to read all of those so... eh.
With my GR list o books ready for cheating, let's begin.
1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2022
Ah, crap. I think I agree with Ms. Owens in that this year's reading crop hasn't wowed me a ton but it's not like everything has been bad. I did really wind up loving She Gets The Girl way more than I anticipated. Oh, and The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling lived up to the hype.
2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2022
If one ignores the Heartstopper series, since I essentially read them all in one go, probably Four Aunties and a Wedding because even though it relies heavily on the "couple does not communicate" trope, the characters and writing still brought me joy. I did also really enjoy All The Feels by Olivia Dade which managed to actually be better than the first book in the series, so that's fun.
3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to
Uhhhh...there's a new Kim Harrison Hollows book. One of my mystery series (one of the Maine ones, how do I have multiple Maine books?) just released one and I'm really tempted to buy it. Muddled Through by Barbara Ross and Trouble With the Cursed by Kim Harrison. Gotta admit, I'm still behind on the Kim Harrison books. Bought but haven't read the previous two.
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
Jim Butcher's son has a book coming out and I'm curious to see whether this is going to coast entirely on Dad's name or if the kid's got talent. Not sure I'm actually looking forward to that so much as I just am really curious as to how it'll pan out. That's Dead Man's Hand by James J. Butcher (and dude, the marketing is leaning hard on people just thinking this is another Jim Butcher book given how the cover is done.)
5. Biggest disappointment
Overall? The Cabin at the End of the World was hyped as this AMAZING book and it's just... not. The characters are basically cardboard, there's very little explanation given despite all the cryptic crap (it takes multiple chapters to even get to the bit spelled out in the blurb) and the ending thinks it's deeper than it is. I enjoyed the author's notes more than the book.
Also, really disappointed that The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman went and retconned stuff and I don't even think it's acknowledged as a retcon. :/
OH. Wait. No. The Camelot Rising series by Kiersten White goes and makes Lancelot a woman and you spend the whole goddamn series waiting for Gwen (not that she goes by that but dude you get the idea) and Lancelot to hook up or for something more to be done with Lancelot and it NEVER FUCKING HAPPENS because we spend all that time on fucking Modred instead. This fantastic change is squandered and it drove me to distraction.
6. Biggest surprise
Is this meant to be like "wow, this book sucked/was amazing and I didn't expect that at all?" or "this one moment was like a big surprise" or... I'm going with a two-fer as that's my theme, apparently. In general, Always in December by Emily Stone looks like your standard holiday fluff. It's not. I'm not saying it's not worth a read (I think it is) but I was not expecting to hurt like that. And random surprise was The Chain by Adrian McKinty owing the title just as much to the BSC as it does Fleetwood Mac. :p
7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)
Alice Oseman and Erin Steling.
8. Newest fictional crush
Listen, books. I love you, but you're not going to catch up with my TV crushes at the moment. HOWEVER since this isn't the time to be all hearteyes over them, let's see. Alex from All the Feels. Alex and Molly from She Gets the Girl. Lancelot.
9. Newest favourite character
Uhh... see above?
10. Book that made you cry
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr had me cry in so many unexpected places. I was bawling at work because the damn thing really did just know where to poke grief for the most realistic portrayal at times.
11. Book that made you happy
The Ex Hex and She Gets The Girl both made me grin stupidly throughout a good chunk of the read.
12. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)
Uhhhhhhhhh...I think the only books I've gotten this year are the kids AG books and Goodnight Girls, the Golden Girls kids book. Neither of which really feels like a good answer to this but here:
My Jellycat from Lori (thank you!) reading some GG goodies to Boa. Yes. I read the book aloud to my cat. What?
13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
I don't think I *need* to read anything other than this ARC of Dangerous Beauty by Melissa Koslin. I want to read the books I mentioned before and I'm sure if one let me loose in a bookstore I'd do some serious damage and intend to read all of those so... eh.